A Gulf Coast mortgage loan officer who knows the costs beyond the loan

Brian Lehmann (NMLS #369470) is a mortgage loan officer with Weber Mortgage based on the Alabama Gulf Coast. He has originated mortgages since 2010, is licensed to lend anywhere in Alabama and Florida, and works with buyers and homeowners in Foley, Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, Fairhope, Daphne, Spanish Fort, and the rest of Baldwin County.

Brian is also a licensed home inspector in Alabama (HI-4747) and Florida (HI18775), a certified building inspector, and a licensed insurance agent, so he can talk through roof age, wind coverage, and flood risk alongside the loan itself.

Often, yes, but the condo building matters as much as you do. For conventional and VA financing, the condo project itself must meet the investor's or VA's requirements, including its budget, reserves, insurance, and how many units are rented short term.

Some beachfront buildings don't meet those requirements. Those usually need a non-warrantable condo loan, which typically means a larger down payment and a higher rate. Brian checks the building before you make an offer, so you aren't surprised after you're under contract.

If the home is in a FEMA high-risk flood zone (zones beginning with A or V) and you use a federally backed mortgage, flood insurance is required. Outside those zones it's optional, but it is often worth pricing near the water.

Look up any address on FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center before you make an offer, and get a flood quote early, because it can change your monthly payment more than the interest rate does.

Near the coast, wind and hail coverage can be one of the largest parts of your housing cost, and in some areas it is excluded from a standard homeowners policy and bought separately. Lenders require the home to be insured for wind, so price it before you commit.

Brian builds your payment estimate with real insurance figures, not a placeholder, so the number you plan around is the number you'll pay.

FORTIFIED is a construction standard from the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety for roofs and homes built to resist high winds. Alabama law requires insurers to offer discounts on the wind portion of a policy for homes with a FORTIFIED designation, which can lower your monthly payment.

When you’re comparing homes, ask whether the roof has a FORTIFIED certificate. Learn about FORTIFIED

Alabama charges a mortgage recording tax of 15 cents per $100 of the loan amount. Florida charges documentary stamp tax on the note of 35 cents per $100 plus an intangible tax of 0.2% of the loan amount. On a $300,000 loan, that's about $450 in Alabama and about $1,650 in Florida.

Recording fees, title charges, and deed taxes are separate. Your Loan Estimate lists every government fee in Section E.